Chemotherapy Round 4 – Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 May has been the easiest so far. In this update I talk about meeting with the doctors; beginnings, continuings and endings; days 2 and 3.
Meeting with doctors
I wrote a three page letter to Dr Lisa Horvath (my oncologist) summarising my journey so far and listing some questions. From 9.15 to almost 10.00 on Monday I met first with registrar Dr Deme(trius) Karikios and then with both doctors. Deme perused the letter discussed, my questions and examined me. He tapped with his fingers around my lower abdomen and listened through his stethoscope finding the bowel to be acting normal. He listened to my chest through the stethoscope and found no signs of asthma.
I discussed the following questions with Lisa and Deme:
What are my blood tests taken before each round of chemotherapy showing?
Blood counts are normal for red and white blood cells and my iron levels are normal. There is evidence of some improvement in the liver function.
When will the CT scan be done to see how my treatment is progressing?
CT scan wanted on Wednesday or Thursday before chemo round 5. I have booked for 8.00/9.00 am, Wednesday 25 May at the Alfred Imaging Centre (where they bulk bill direct to Medicare and I do not pay anything).
What concerns, if any, do you have about the hiccups and tingling fingers in chemotherapy round 3?
No real concerns but some useful suggestions. I mentioned that I had stopped taking Nexium at chemo round 3. Nexium helps the digestion and Lisa said take it, which I am now doing and I do not have hiccups this round. The tingling fingers probably relate to becoming cold and I have found that washing them under cold water brings on the tingling. Suggestion is to wear gloves when outdoors or indoors and it is cold.
Is it OK to continue with the gardening work?
Yes.
A doctor who works in the Sydney University department where my daughter is based gave her four bottles of Himalaya Liv.52 tablets and recommended I take them to assist my liver. These tablets are said to be herbal based and have no adverse interaction with the chemotherapy. What are your thoughts on using these tablets?
Their view is that there is a lack of empirical evidence to show that such treatments actually help. Some herbal treatments (like spinach tablets) do adversely affect some chemotherapy. Doctors from south and south-east Asia do tend to recommend such treatments. Lisa suggested I could try the tablets (after this round) and if they help keep going but if they are adverse, stop. She also suggested ginger tablets as there is strong evidence these do assist and so I will get these.
I think I will need a card when flying to explain about my port-o-cath because I think it will set the metal detectors off at airports and other security checkpoints. Do you know what sort of card I need? Do you know where to obtain it?
Should be no need for a card as the port-o-cath is plastic.
What is your current assessment of my progress?
The indicators are things are going well. The CT scan, which will be discussed at the next chemo round, will show the degree to which progress has been made.
Beginnings, continuings and endings
Monday was a day of beginnings, continuings and endings (in reverse order).
While I was at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Barbara attended Malcolm’s (our friend Lee’s brother) funeral. It was a sad, moving and uplifting experience with several hundred people present. A large part of the almost 2 hour service was the reading of Malcolm’s letters and statements covering his suffering from pain, his love of family and friends, Christian faith, etc. The calibre of the man, his tolerance of difficult circumstances, his deep Christian faith and confidence shone through. His funeral was a fitting ending of a life well lived.
Sitting opposite me was an outgoing, fellow bowel and liver cancer patient, Ingrid. I comfortably sit in my chair reading my book, doing puzzles and talking with the nurses when they monitor and change the treatment satchels. Like, fellow patients I prefer not to talk to other patients. I think we do not want to share woes. However, Ingrid talked with a man near me and with me a little from time to time and quite a bit when her treatment had finished and her daughter arrived to take her home. Ingrid was in for her 18th treatment. She is on her third lengthy period of chemo. The first started around February 2010. I gather the middle session was not so effective. She mentioned she volunteered to be part of a trial of a new chemo drug that was so ‘effective’ that it made a 9 centimetre hole in her bowel, creating and abscess. Treatment reduced it by half and was followed by an operation that removed 45 centimetres of her bowel and she now has a bag. Ingrid looked well, was very optimistic and said how much she had learned on her cancer journey and that the journey included many good things. Hers is an encouraging story of continuing optimistically through cancer treatment.
Our third oldest and his partner announced their engagement.
Day 2
I felt well and had a quiet day. Enjoyed the first episode of Stephen Fry in America http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f2dfv . Stephen Fry is a well-known British comedian and actor in television and movies and host of the BBC series QI. In 2008 he made a six part series on the US where he visited every state in the Union driving a London taxi. The first episode is the north-east down to Washington DC.
We had an engagement celebratory dinner. We started with a toast of champagne and canapés in the front room followed by a vegetarian main course with pasta and dessert of luscious sweets from a patisserie in Balmain in the dining room.
Day 3
Felt queasier today, which is the usual but I had forgotten this because I have felt so good lately. So found it a bit annoying. Went to the hospital and had the chemo bottle removed early afternoon. Then walked through Sydney University to do some banking and walked on to Broadway shopping centre where I enjoyed a decaf coffee while I read an Associations magazine published by my friend John Peacock http://www.associations.net.au/ . Watched two more episodes of Stephen Fry in America viewing episode 2 on the Deep South and episode 3 on the Mississippi States.
Now it is Thursday morning and I am listening to the Beatles, Yellow Submarine, 1999 version and Beatles – 1, as I finalise this blog entry.
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